Fellow Focus in Four will introduce you to fellows from each section of the Department of Internal Medicine. This month's fellow is Natalija Odanovic, MD, Cardiovascular Medicine.
Why did you choose medicine?
I actually wanted to study philosophy and I told my mother so. My mother, being a doctor herself and overall a practical woman, was devastated. It was her disappointment and a bit too much watching of House, MD, that made me choose a medical career in the end.
Why did you choose Yale Department of Internal Medicine for your fellowship?
I chose Yale because I fell in love with it during the interview day. I witnessed the collegial atmosphere, smelled lemon chicken on Cedar Street, took a tour of the extensive research facilities, and walked around the picturesque campus ending up at Yale Art Gallery where I saw Ralph Albert Blakelock's Moonlight and decided this was the place.
What was your path to Yale?
My story started at “Narodni front” Hospital in Belgrade, Serbia where I was born on April 6, 1990, precisely 49 years after the Nazi bombing of Belgrade in WWII (yes, I should have chosen a better date). I started primary school a year early because of a fistfight with a friend in kindergarten, but I went on to become a good student and a high school valedictorian. My next stop was University of Belgrade School of Medicine where I earned my MD degree over the course of 6 years. In contrast to the U.S. where one usually has to pay for medical school and college, my medical education was free and in fact I was awarded numerous scholarships for being a good student. I always admired American medicine with its almost unlimited resources, excellence in patient care and research, and postgraduate education that is probably the best in the world, so I applied for the internal medicine residency match and ended up at Rutgers NJMS where I spent three marvelous years before moving to Yale for the cardiology fellowship.
What’s a fun fact about you?
I collect records and listen to music on a gramophone.
Extra Credit:
Perks of Living in New Haven? Connecticut?
Definitely Lighthouse Point Park, East Rock, Yale Art Gallery, Yale Center for British Art, the beautiful campus, numerous downtown restaurants, the fact that you can survive (and thrive) without a driver's license. Also, the overall culture of tolerance, diversity, and democracy that I feel in Connecticut.
What is your 5-year goal? 10-year? Overall career?
After general cardiology I plan to stay at Yale for a year of interventional cardiology and then go back to my hometown Belgrade. There I plan to work at the largest cardiovascular institute in the Balkans while at the same time pursuing an academic career. I intend to bring some of the American spirit with me: the optimism, the work ethic, and one or two innovations. I hope to keep my ties to Yale strong and serve as a bridge between Yale University and University of Belgrade for potential future collaborations in research, patient care, and education.
What else should we know about you?
I speak English, Serbian, Spanish, and Russian. In my spare time I practice calligraphy and woodcarving, and decoupage is my next planned undertaking.